PATERSON — Seven Paterson police officers received major suspensions in 2017 ranging from 30 days to six months, according to an Internal Affairs discipline report released this week.

High-ranking city police officials say the discipline report is evidence of their “zero tolerance” approach towards wrongdoing by cops, but critics say New Jersey’s Internal Affairs system is flawed, arguing that it shields law enforcement from oversight and public accountability.

The “synopsis of disciplinary action report,” which local police departments must compile under guidelines issues by the New Jersey Attorney General Office, does not name the seven officers who received suspensions. Nor does the discipline report, provided to Paterson Press on Tuesday, provide details on the infractions that triggered the suspensions.

The report says one officer was suspended in 2017 for six months for “conduct unbecoming a public employee” and that two officers were suspended for 30 days for unbecoming conduct.

Three other officers were suspended for 30 days for failing “to submit accurate reports” and the seventh officer was suspended 30 days for “failure to supervise.”

“This is the result of the zero tolerance approach we take towards police misconduct,” said Paterson Police Chief Troy Oswald.

Troy Oswald was sworn in as the new Paterson police chief in a formal swearing-in ceremony at Passaic County Community College on Wednesday, April 25. (Photo: Marko Georgiev/NorthJersey.com)

Police Director Jerry Speziale said the Internal Affairs division, which investigates alleged misconduct by officers, operates in a “proactive” way, rather than simply responding to complaints.

“Discipline is part of making sure there’s accountability in place,” Speziale said.

The Paterson police department did not compile a similar discipline report for 2016. Officials attributed that failure to the transition in leadership that took place at the start of 2017. Former chief William Fraher retired in January 2017 and the city set up a rotation during which each of three deputy chiefs was put in charge of the department for a four-month period.

In 2015, the discipline report showed that six officers were fired or forced to resign over infractions and three others were suspended.

Oswald said the police department's discipline stats for 2018 are on pace to exceed the 2017 total, largely because of the FBI investigation that resulted in the arrests of four officers earlier this year.

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Zellie Thomas, one of the organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in Paterson, said seven suspensions for a whole year seemed like a “low number” to him.

“I don’t think that number accurately reflects what’s going on in the police department,” said Thomas, a local school teacher. “Based on the various incidents we’ve seen, I don’t think they're doing a good job in changing the culture in the Paterson police department or of policing themselves.”

Thomas said the new administration at City Hall ought to push for changes at the state level to create more accountability and transparency when it comes to public oversight of local police departments.

One of the recommendations made by Mayor Andre Sayegh’s transition team was the possible creation of an “inspector general” for the police department. But the mayor has not taken any public action on that suggestion.

City Councilman William McKoy said the annual police department discipline report doesn’t provide much insight into the police department’s Internal Affairs process because of the lack of details.

“There is no context,” McKoy said.

For example, the councilman said the listing of a six-month suspension ought to have come with additional details. “Where in the world can you get a six-month suspension and still be employed?” McKoy said.

The councilman said the problem stemmed from standards set by the state Attorney General’s Office, not with the operation of the Paterson Internal Affairs division.

“The problem is that the Attorney General guidelines don’t provide any real accountability and transparency,” McKoy asserted. “What they do is create a shield that protects the police department from oversight.”

In past years, McKoy has unsuccessfully asked the Attorney General’s Office to make public more information about police discipline matters.

“It’s gotten worse,” he said. “Not only the public, but also the council, has lost confidence in the process.”

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